It's funny – in the last few days about a half-dozen people have kindly sent me the link on YouTube to that 1953 film about Lorain entitled LORAIN– An Industrial Empire in Ohio's Vacation Land. It's the same film that was shown at the Charleston Coffee House a few times back in February.
It's a great little film that's both fun to watch, and ultimately depressing – because you know those days are never coming back. I suppose I'm lucky I was born in 1959 and was able to catch the tail-end of Lorain's glory days.
I owned a copy of this video a few years ago, but loaned it to someone and it disappeared after that. So it's great to see it on YouTube.
Anyways, there's plenty of great things to see in the video if you pay attention.
Like this color shot (below) of Lorain's long-gone Civil War soldiers monument (which I wrote about many times, including here).
How about this gaudy neon sign for Lorain's iconic Castle on the Lake restaurant?
Here's a shot of a motel that shared its name with a famous chain: Holiday Inn Motel (below). It was located on Route 6 between Lorain and Vermilion at Stop 120 – which I think puts it between Baumhart Road and Sunnyside. I love that huge candle-shaped sign.
And of course, here's Lorain's Easter Basket decked out in an unusual color scheme (hope you made it down there for a photo this past Easter weekend!)
Anyway, in case there are some of you that have missed the video so far, here it is. There's a cute but rather long introductory sequence before the actual film begins.
****
I mentioned above that the Holiday Inn Motel was on Route 6 between Lorain and Vermilion. I kind of suspect that it was this place (below) that is just west of Baumhart on the south side of the street. Anybody know for sure?
I can't say if that is definitely the same place shown in the film, but it is exactly where stop 120 on the Lake Shore Electric/Lake Shore bus line was.
My step-father's father was the guy behind the Holiday Inn. His name was Frank Koniewskowsky,which he shortened to "Konik" when he emigrated from Poland in the early part of the 20th century. He lived on the west side of Cleveland, where he owned a block of buildings. An entrepreneur, Frank bought the property at Liberty Avenue/Lake Road in the early 1950's,because he knew that it was smack-dab on the route to the vacation destinations to the west: Cedar Point, Port Clinton, Kelly's Island, Put-in-Bay, etc. This was before the Interstate freeway would bypass the area. Frank installed his sons Richard (my step-father) and Robert as owner/operators of the motel and adjacent restaurant. He named it after the epic Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye movie, and subsequently became entangled with the other Holiday Inn. He settled with the corporate boys & changed the name to simply "Holiday" and left the Inn part out. The restaurant was the Holiday Steak House, which my step-father operated until late 1974. Bob Konik turned the motel into apartments, which he rented out until his death in the early '90s.
I really appreciate the information about the motel, as I've been working on a multi-part follow-up to the original post about it. I've also been over there a few times to get some "now" photos, and I found a few old articles in the C-T as well.
If you have time to email me directly, I have a few questions that you might be able to help me with!
I can't say if that is definitely the same place shown in the film, but it is exactly where stop 120 on the Lake Shore Electric/Lake Shore bus line was.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, I've managed to miss this....when I'm next at the Hillsboro Library, I'm gonna have to look this up.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the verification, Drew! I used the old LSE schedule you sent me a few years ago to figure out where Stop 120 is.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to see at the library if the Holiday Inn Motel actually had an address instead of just the Stop 120 designation.
I just saw this video....sure and it makes your heart ache....how'd we let all this slide?
ReplyDeleteMy step-father's father was the guy behind the Holiday Inn. His name was Frank Koniewskowsky,which he shortened to "Konik" when he emigrated from Poland in the early part of the 20th century. He lived on the west side of Cleveland, where he owned a block of buildings. An entrepreneur, Frank bought the property at Liberty Avenue/Lake Road in the early 1950's,because he knew that it was smack-dab on the route to the vacation destinations to the west: Cedar Point, Port Clinton, Kelly's Island, Put-in-Bay, etc. This was before the Interstate freeway would bypass the area. Frank installed his sons Richard (my step-father) and Robert as owner/operators of the motel and adjacent restaurant. He named it after the epic Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye movie, and subsequently became entangled with the other Holiday Inn. He settled with the corporate boys & changed the name to simply "Holiday" and left the Inn part out. The restaurant was the Holiday Steak House, which my step-father operated until late 1974. Bob Konik turned the motel into apartments, which he rented out until his death in the early '90s.
ReplyDeleteHi Brian,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the information about the motel, as I've been working on a multi-part follow-up to the original post about it. I've also been over there a few times to get some "now" photos, and I found a few old articles in the C-T as well.
If you have time to email me directly, I have a few questions that you might be able to help me with!
Thanks, again!
Dan: I grew up there. Let me know if I can help fill in some gaps, also.
ReplyDelete